Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I am not sure if there was an issue for others using the NetGalley app to read, but I really struggled with reading the text in this. The text was so small and blurry, I often had to zoom in which would help some, but it also made the blurriness worse. Additionally the stylized art was messy and difficult to look at.

Aside from file issues, I thought this was a fairly interesting and well-researched graphic novel! I wish the art was better, cleaner, and the text easier to read though.

Interesting and unique art style and engaging story, whether you are familiar with the witch trials or not.
Can be a good introduction to them.
I believe this will find its true value in print.
3.5 stars.

More Weight is a powerful, haunting read that doesn't let you forget the real history behind the infamous Salem witch trials. We’re so used to associating Salem with Halloween decor, quirky movies, and “spooky season” fun, that we forget the brutality of what actually happened. This book cuts through the commercialized fog and gives voice to the actual people—real victims who suffered, were silenced, and deserve to be remembered with care.

I did struggle with the file quality and font. Some parts were blurry or hard to read, which was frustrating and pulled me out of the moment. If there’s ever a cleaner, higher-quality edition released, I’d be first in line to revisit it.

"More Weight: A Salem Story" by Ben Wickey tells the story of Salem, MA and the infamous witch trials in an accessible graphic novel. While the history of the witch trials has been told, rarely does the narrative focus on Giles Corey, who was accused, along with his wife, of witchcraft. He was killed by being crushed by rocks, an ordeal during which he cried out "more weight" to his persecutors. Wickey doesn't shy away from sharing Corey's checkered past of disagreements with neighbors and multiple lawsuits. Beyond the story of the trials themselves, he shares the story of Salem through present day and how it became a tourist destination for those interested in witchcraft and history. Also interspersed within the novel is an imagined conversation between Nathaniel Hawthorne (who was related to one of the witchcraft trial judges) and Henry Longfellow about the history of Salem and the trials. I didn't find those sections as successful as the others, but overall "More Weight" was an enjoyable and informative work.

Very cool graphic novel. It's tough to read in places but the art is so cool and it gives insight into a crazy period of history.

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for this arc.

Unfortunately this didn't work for me, while the actual telling of the Salem Witch Trials was interesting and well researched I really struggled with sections not set in the time itself.

The art style also felt like an odd mix of styles rather than just one defined art which I was not a fan of. Also, as someone who is dyslexic the main font that was used I struggled to read, it was almost a handwriting style.

While this may not have worked for me it is still well researched so if you would like to know more about the Salem Witch trials certainly give it a go.

As someone with an interest in the events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, I wanted to love this book. I was hoping to delve further into the life of Giles Corey, renowned among Salem scholars as being a strong old man who muttered the final words, “More weight.”

And I did get that from this graphic novel. The sections on him, his wife, and others who were accused of witchcraft during the trials were the parts of the book that I took my time in reading and absorbing.

that said, there were other sections that, honestly, just did not hold my attention. Perhaps if I were in a different mindset and wanted to delve into Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, I would have enjoyed this more.

Certainly, this was a well researched and well considered telling of the Salem witch trials and the impact and influence that they continue to have over 300 years later.

This was a super interesting read and I think the art was great for the subject matter. You can tell how much research went into this topic as well. I gave four stars as there was a lot of text for a graphic novel, in my opinion, and the font chosen was a little funky to read at times. I'd still recommend to those interested in witches and Salem.

Emotional, well researched, informative. There's a lot to love in this graphic novel, there's the tragedy of intolerance and superstition, there's the courage of a man, there's writers and stories
A great graphic novel
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It's clear there was a lot of love and research that went into making this story. The art is wonderful, and while the style was similar for each person, I had no trouble telling one character apart from another. When we think of Salem today, we often get caught up in the Hocus Pocus of it all and just think "Fall! Spooky Season! Witches!" that we often forget this was a truly dark time that had truly innocent victims. Stories like this give those victims a voice, and serve as a reminder that there were real people behind the stories that we know.

When it comes to the Salem Witch Trials, I am very familiar with names like Sarah Goode, Tituba, and Abigail Williams. And while I recognize the Coreys' name as people who were accused, I really didn't now much about Giles and and Martha (outside of what the Crucible showed me), and I don't even really know why. Retellings that I have found just don't focus on them for some reason. I found this story to be educational, riveting, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Wow what a powerful book! The attention to detail was incredible! The work he put into this, the research, the different writings, the different drawings to depict the time, weaving the lore, the truth and pop culture, phenomenal. So, the next time you walk down the streets of Salem, don't glorify it. Call it what it is.

Thank you Netgalley, Top shelf and Ben Wickey for this advance copy. What an absolute treat! My opinions are my own.

Love the art work that has gone into this and think the story itself is really interesting. Only negative I had was I did find the font tricky to follow sometimes but that’s just a preference for me.